Did you know that a WWII lifeboat called the Guide of Dunkirk was funded by the Girl Guides Association? This lovely boat is now being restored in Norfolk, at Abbey Boat Builders in Reedham. Members of the ARC team will be taking part in a ropemaking workshops over the weekend of 18th / 19th October…

Interested in local history? The early days of Girlguiding in Norfolk? Fact-finding? Working with others? Being hands-on? Then we have a super opportunity for you! Girlguiding Norfolk has received funding to learn how to conserve, catalogue and research the items donated by the family of Nora Williamson, a guide and leader in the 1920s/1930s in…

We were invited to participate in Gressenhall Museum’s 50th anniversary celebrations, which meant enjoying all things of the 1970s. Local Brownies and Guides from Toftwood participated in meetings, designed around what would have been worn and activities done in that era. Everyone loved it and over 400 visitors came to Cherry Tree Cottage to see…

The ARC was open for three days of the Heritage Open Days festival this year and was delighted to welcome people returning because they had enjoyed previous events, members from Lowestoft attracted as a result of seeing uniforms in the Lowestoft Festival in August, a family from Colchester who came as a result of advertising…

Next weekend is the beginning of Norfolk Heritage Open Days Heritage Open Days, and we are delighted to say that we will be open at the ARC on Saturday 13th, Sunday 14th and Monday 15th September from 10am to 4pm so do come and see us.   Find out more  

We’ve been having a great time in the Heritage Hub at Norjam this week. As always, our Archivist, Helen, was in the midst of it helping everyone enjoy what was on offer! We’ve had so many visitors, caught up with old friends and made lots of new ones.  Our displays and activities have demonstrated aspects…

Did you know that the 20th June is often considered the happiest day of the year, scientifically? The reasoning behind this is that it is just before the summer solstice where the sun is out for the longest, and usually pleasant weather. It is a time where the summer holidays are eagerly anticipated by many,…

Visitors to the ARC’s 80th VE Day commemorations discovered all about the work of the Guide International Service (G.I.S.) – a highly trained group of young women who went in to Europe and Malaya at the end of the Second World War. Their mission was to help ordinary people rebuild their shattered lives and they…

Do you know what Guides did during the war? The Guide International Service (GIS) was formed during the war to support the war effort. Come and join in our commemoration activities to find out about it  

A home-made Guide uniform dating back more than 100 years has been donated to the ARC and with it some intriguing pieces of kit which are both delighting and puzzling our volunteers. A box of items belonging to Nora Williamson, who was a Guide in the 1st Gressenhall Company in 1919, was given to us…